I have completed "Revolutionary Road", by Richard Yates, and I have mixed feelings about the novel. But first I believe that it is necessary to sum up the end of the story:
April gets pregnant with a third child, and at first she tells Frank that she wants to self-abort the baby, but he talks her out of this. They then decide to hold off on moving to Paris for at least a couple of years, and Frank gets a promotion. Things go well for the Wheelers for a while; they have no fights and live in a peaceful relationship. Finally one day, Frank even ends his affair with Maureen for good. But he hasn't been the only one who is unfaithful; April has a one night stand with Shep Campbell. Later, the Wheeler's marriage begins to get rocky, and Frank tells April about his affair. She claims that she does not care, because she simply does not love Frank or feel any emotion towards him. Then one day, April decides to self-abort the baby after all. By this point in time, the procedure is way too dangerous, and April ends up dying. Frank had no idea she was going to do this, and he is dead inside for the rest of his life. The Wheeler family never moves to Paris, but they sell their house and Frank's two children live with their uncle and aunt, and Frank occasionally visits them.
I think that "Revolutionary Road" is a well-written novel that really makes the reader look at life in a new perspective. After reading this book, I realized how distorted reality may seem and how the most put-together people are also the most screwed-up people. It also made me think about the world that I live in, because I am a product of the perfect suburban marriage. I now have a more tainted view of my surroundings and neighbors, because this story has corrupted me that much. Going further, I think that this book is possibly the most depressing story I've ever read. What depresses me most isn't that April dies or that the dream of moving to Paris is ruined, but it is the fact that all of Frank's livelihood dies along with April. He was so in love with her, and she was horrible to him. Because of her, he loses all of his ability to love; he never finds love and happiness with another woman, and he can't even love his own children. I'm not entirely sure why, but I think that this is the absolute saddest situation. All in all, this book was a good-read, but it had a large effect on me. Whether that effect was for the better or worse, I do not know.
03 December 2009
Image Study
Revolutionary Road is the story of a suburban family, that seems to live a perfect and glamorous life. I think this picture is the picture that all of Revolutionary Hill had of the Wheeler house; a loving and beautiful couple, living in a loving and beautiful house. But when you look closer at this picture, you see a blender and a dishwasher full of forks and knives. I think this symbolizes tension in the seemingly perfect picture. This picture is correctly represents Frank and April Wheeler. They are a beautiful couple that always put on the act of being completely in love, but when observed more closely, there is a great degree of conflict and darkness in their marriage.http://retrorenovation.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/1950s-dishwasher-wall-mount.jpg1950s-dishwasher-wall-mount.jpg
This picture is of a house with a brick path, but you can't tell from looking at this picture where the path leads. Time and again, Frank works tirelessly on building a stone path in the Wheeler's front yard. Unfortunately, the path never gets finished, and it just ends in a big mudpile in the front yard. I think that this symbolizes Frank's ongoing struggle to please April, but it ends in one big mess. Throughout the whole story, Frank and April fight, but he works diligently to win her love again. At the end of the story, April kills herself, and Frank's symbolic path to please her ends in nothing, just like the literal path ends in nothing. This symbol is so important to the plot of the story, and I feel that this picture well reflects the symbol of the broken path.http://http//www.remarc.com/craig/images/june07_front2x1200.jpg07_front2x1200.jpg
Pam and Jim are the legendary couple from the sitcom, "The Office," and in many ways, their relationship is similar to that of Frank Wheeler's and Maureen Grube's. Maureen is the young secretary working in Frank's office that is so taken by Frank. She thinks everything he says is intelligent and funny, while he finds great enjoyment in amazing her. In this picture, Pam, the secretary, is staring wistfully into Jim's eyes, and she is laughing at the joke that he just told her. In Frank's office, Maureen stares wistfully into Frank's eyes, they go out to lunch together, and she laughs at all of his jokes. Although Frank is married, he and Maureen have a long affair, in which Maureen is rather taken advantage of. Frank swears that he has no real feelings for Maureen, except for the feeling of satisfaction that he is able to make this innocent girl so fascinated with him. The affair hugely impacts the plot of the story and the way that the readers view Frank Wheeler. Obviously, there are many differences between the relationship between Jim and Pam and between Frank and Maureen, but I like to make the connection to a modern tv comedy.
http://http//i.ivillage.com/E/325/TVCouples/E_PamJimTheOffice_325.jpg
http://http//i.ivillage.com/E/325/TVCouples/E_PamJimTheOffice_325.jpg
This is a picture of a classic French cafe, where two elegant women are sipping drinks and watching people go by on the street. Frank and April Wheeler are two Americans who are so tired of their dull lives, and they believe that if they move to Paris then they will be much more satisfied. The two go so far with their plans that they begin to sell their house and pack up their belongings. The image to the right is exactly what April and Frank long for. They want to be surrounded by people as fascinating as themselves, and they want to live a more glamorous life. In this picture, the two women obviously don't have to worry about money, and they don't seem to have anything tying them down. For this reason, Frank's and April's dream is so unrealistic. They forget that they have two children, Frank doesn't have a job in Paris, neither of them speak French, and more. Eventually their dream is crushed when they discover that April is pregnant with a third child. I think that this image is very important to the plot of the novel and the development of characters, because it shows how unrealistic and immature Frank and April are, and everything ends up revolving around their dream to start a new life in the "City of Lights". 
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